How The West Is #1

Steve's interview is really exciting as he is at the forefront of technology and has so many interesting stories to share! Having been born and bred in Werribee on a farm, Steve moved to the inner west in 1999 and has never looked back. He is an inner-West man through and through and says he will never leave.

As a keynote speaker around technology advances, who has presented over 600 times in 40 countries, Steve has also created projects like a Lego spaceship that went to outer spce, a full sized Lego car that runs on compressed air, and his latest, a 3D-printed house that has been built in Adelaide. Steve talks about how much of tech is developing horizontally these days, what a Futurist does, and, of course, his favourite local spots. You won't want to miss this interview with a fascinating man.

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Luke's story is really inspirational. The interview initially was focused on the great work he does at The Biomechanics, and then he mentioned that he started The Knowledge Exchange for allied health professionals, followed by his podcast as well as his work at The Biomechanics. 

As a student at VU, Luke was studying Exercise Science and on the side, doing some Personal Development courses. He realised that not only was it expensive to do all the additional courses, but his friend was also doing courses, so they started to summaries what they had learned, to share it with each other. This led to them establishing The Knowledge Exchange where allied health professionals can share what they have learned with other practitioners. Then the podcast was born, interviewing experts in their field to again, share their knowledge.

Luke has a passion for giving back, being ethical and offering real help to people that need it, many with complex pain issues. He and his partner moved into Footscray before the lockdowns and it was during that period that he believes we saw the best of people, and it really consolidated his ideas around community and giving back. You will love Luke and what he is doing for others.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy is a community-focused social entrepreneur who has given back to the Maribyrnong community in many ways. Over the pandemic, he and his two young sons started a Facebook live show (that went through many of our community group Pages) called in Other Good News, where they featured a good new story every day. This then led to a fundraising effort in partnership with Gekko Coffee, where they distributed coffee to local residents, with a proportion of the profits going to the Food Bank. In fact, Andy says that amount has now covered over 55,000 meals.

In 2023 he started the Good People Podcast, where he interviews people, many almost unknown, who are doing amazing things to help others. With over 40 episodes 'in the can', he has recently won an award for Best Interview Podcast. Lastyly (but defintiely not least!), Andy and another local, Athena Thompson, now run a club for local small business owners called Ground Level. Ground Level includes a monthly meeting where small business owners in the area can come together to connect, problem-solve and help each other. You really will want to get to know this man who is doing so much good for others.

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Liana is quite well known in Footscray, having started the inner west's first co-working space, called Hello Idea, and she and her partner Stu also run Littlefoot Bar on Barkly St, Footscray, and were instrumental in revitalizing the Footscray Traders Association. Liana is also a graphic designer and branding expert at the top level.

Liana is all about creativity and community and in this wide-ranging interview she talks about why she and Stu moved to the West and started a bar, what prompted her to start a co-working space, we talk about her design work and then, of course, COVID and how that affected her. You will be inspired by her commitment to diversity, inclusion and connection.

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Sonia's story is so compelling and her background is extraordinary, so you will definitely love this episode! Born and raised in Sydney, Sonia started out as a journalist at uni and then worked as a TV producer on Today Tonight and Sunrise before moving to London where she worked for a TV network there, and then Al Jazeera. She met her partner, who is French, back in Australia and then his job took them to Mumbai where she got pregnant and they had their first child. Her partner, Remi then decided he didn't want to be an engineer any more and suggested that they should start a Pizza Truck, and Sonia became pregnant with twins. They started their food van business in St Kilda but eventually moved it to Footscray and had a 'garage' in Braybrook. Then the Pandemic hit and they started offering takeaway pizzas from their 'garage', until tragedy hit, the week we came out of the lockdown, and one of the trucks exploded, destroying the premises. Thus, Campground Kitchen was born!

When their vans were destroyed, Sonia and Remi were devastated, but the wonderful community spirit in the inner west kicked in and someone started a GoFundMe campaign which raised enough for them to buy and refurbish another truck. From there they decided to start a restaurant and fitted out the 'garage' as a really cool venue. Campground Kitchen only opened its doors in early 2023 but is slowly building up a loyal following. You will be so inspired by Sonia's story.

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​Migrant Coffee is the brainchild of Stacey, and her best friend and co-founder, Melodee. Both are first generation Australians and they built the business to create a home away from home. One that would fit their lifestyles, and showcase their heritage with their innovative bagel fillings. Stacey's story, prior to starting the business is amazing - she (and Melodee) are hip hop enthusiasts from way back, and Stacey is also a flight attendant for private planes. Coming from New Zealand, Stacey and Melodee met in New York at a hip hop event and soon became best friends. Both knew that one day they would set up a business together, but first they wanted to travel, and Stacey ended up working for the royal family in the Middle East for many years before they decided to press go!

Migrant Coffee is a much-loved venue in the heart of Footscray and they use locals for their staff and supplies. Stacey's love of the inner west shines through in this great interview.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duncan and his friend Sam, both winemakers, decided in 2015 to start a craft brewery instead, and chose Footscray because they liked the local area. At the time, neither of them had a business plan or strategy, they decided to learn along the way, and what a success they have made it! After securing a place in Yarraville, they got to work and once they had secured their permits, and a small amount of investment, they were off and running! In this interview, Duncan explains how the business has grown, he talks about his own move to Footscray to live, and how Hop Nation is expanding it's offering to include from late September 2023.

This brewery is now also on the Mornington Peninsula (although the specialty beers are brewed locally), and having survived the pandemic surprisingly well, they are now bracing themselves for the next two years when the economic conditions are predicted to be difficult. It's a great story, and one that will no doubt inspire you.

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Peta-Gai, or PG as she is known, is an absolute powerhouse, and she has a huge community of women that absolutely adore her. In this interview, you will find out why. PG talks about why she set up her makeup company, and that she has lived in the inner west for over 20 years. Peta-Gai is very much loved in this area, and beyond, by women who love her warm and friendly manner - and her makeup genius! PG runs her famous 'glamtorials' from her Hyde St studio and works with women of all ages, focusing on their inner beauty, and helping them apply to make-up that suits them. She talks about how Iridis is latin for 'rainbow' and that they are an inclusive company.

She and her wife Kelly run the business, and they not only teach older women how to apply makeup, but they also work with trans women to help them with their feminisation process. She discusses how she has created two online courses - one for makeup artists, and the other (about to be launched) for trans women, as well as starting a two-day in-person course for trans women. PG is fiercely loyal to the inner west community and explains why she loves it so much. She also reveals a little bit about her work with celebrities and, where she hopes to be 5 years from now.

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